Tour of Oman 2022 – Stage 4 [Highlights]

February 13, 2022

Tour of Oman 2022 – Stage 4 – Al Sifah – Muscat : 119,5 km

The Tour of Oman is a six-day stage race that – since its debut edition in 2010 – has typically taken place in early February, giving pro riders from all over the world a chance to kickstart their seasons with a week of dynamic, action-packed racing in the baking Omani heat. The race first entered the UCI’s Asia Tour and quickly became one of its flagship races, drawing some of the biggest names from Europe to its startline.

Fausto Masnada (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) claimed victory and the overall lead on an action-packed stage 4 of the Tour of Oman.

On a day where the bunch was blown apart by the hills and wind, QuickStep set out aggressively and Masnada took command of the race, winning the stage solo by over a minute to carve out a big advantage in the overall standings.

His teammate Mauro Schmid, who had laid the foundations with a long-range attack of his own, sprinted to second place from the small chase group to make it a perfect day for the Belgian team.

Kevin Vaquelin (Arkea-Samsic) claimed the final spot on the podium in a seven-man group that also contained stage 3 winner Anthon Charmig (Uno-X), who was forced to watch the red leader’s jersey slip from his shoulders.

There was an early breakaway – Samuele Zoccarato (Bardiani-CSF), Julen Irizar (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Michael Kukrle (Gazprom-RusVelo) – but it didn’t last long as the race exploded on the early climbs of Al Jissah and Al Wadi al Kabir.

Team DSM helped shred the bunch to just 30-odd riders, but QuickStep weren’t content with that, firing 12th-placed Schmid up the road in a solo breakaway after just 44km.

After a period of relentless attacking in the bunch, Schmid found company in the form of the DSM duo of Soren Kragh Andersen and Jonas Hvideberg, plus Antoine Duchesne (Groupama-FDJ), Joan Bou (Euskaltel-Euskadi), and Marco Canola (Gazprom-RusVelo).

Together they reached the finishing area and prepared for the loops in the hills around Muscat, with three ascents of Al Jabal Street – 3.2km at 6.8 per cent – on the agenda.

Zoccarato bridged across on the first climb to take the mountains points but, after a descent and short stint on the flat, Schmid launched again on the second ascent and was solo once more.

The second climb saw the reduced bunch explode once more, with Masnada and Charmig both part of a 12-man move that contained most of the riders at the top of the overall classification after Saturday’s uphill finish.

Schmid took 10 seconds over the top, while things regrouped behind on the descent. Vaquelin hit out with Kukrle and Kevin Vermaerke (DSM) on the descent and worked his way over to Schmid for the final ascent of Al Jabal Street, which topped out 14km from the finish.

The reduced bunch exploded again on the final climb and Masnada once again went clear with Charmig, Jan Hirt (Intermarché), and Henri Vandenebeele (DSM). The margins were tight on the plateau over the top, and when things came together, Masnada attacked on the descent with 12km to go.

He carved out 25 seconds by the time he hit the flat, and he then profited from disorganisation in the chase to stretch that all the way out to 1:07 by the finish line, where he roared in celebration.

Masnada now leads the race by 55 seconds over Charmig, with Hirt third at 58 seconds and Schmid fourth at 1:08. The race is Masnada’s to lose as Monday sees the crucial summit finish on Green Mountain ahead of the flat final stage on Tuesday.

Results :
1 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 03:01:53
2 Mauro Schmid (Swi) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:01:07
3 Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
4 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates
5 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
6 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
7 Jan Hirt (Cze) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
8 Henri Vandenabeele (Bel) Team DSM
9 Sander Armée (Bel) Cofidis 00:01:18
10 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Team DSM 00:01:23
11 Stan Van Tricht (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:01:26
12 Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo
13 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
14 Cameron Meyer (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
15 Davide Villella (Ita) Cofidis
16 Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
17 Denis Nekrasov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
18 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco
19 Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
20 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM
21 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
22 Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
23 Harold Martin Lopez (Ecu) Astana Qazaqstan Development
24 Hugo Toumire (Fra) Cofidis
25 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
26 Juan Carlos Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Qazaqstan Development
27 Rein Taaramäe (Est) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
28 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
29 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
30 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:55
31 Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:02:18
32 Michael Kukrle (Cze) Gazprom-Rusvelo
33 Winner Anacona (Col) Arkea-Samsic
34 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
35 Mario Aparicio Muñoz (Spa) Burgos-BH
36 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ 00:03:17
37 Louis Blouwe (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:05:27
38 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates
39 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
40 Charles Planet (Fra) Novo Nordisk
41 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH
42 Kelland O’Brien (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
43 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Groupama-FDJ
44 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates
45 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
46 Stijn Steels (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
47 Clément Davy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
48 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
49 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-FDJ
50 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
51 Samuele Zoccarato (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
52 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 00:09:05
53 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis 00:10:31
54 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
55 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:11:29
56 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
57 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
58 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
59 Alexandre Vinokurov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Development
60 Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
61 Marcus Sander Hansen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
62 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH
63 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis
64 Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
65 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
66 Umberto Poli (Ita) Novo Nordisk
67 Campbell Stewart (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
68 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
69 Nicolas Vinokurov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Development
70 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
71 Johan Meens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
72 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM
73 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkea-Samsic
74 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
75 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team
76 Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Development
77 Julius Johansen (Den) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:19:23
78 Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
79 Alexander Molenaar (Ned) Burgos-BH 00:19:26
80 Nathan Vandepitte (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
81 Abdulrahman al Yaaqoobi (Oma) Oman National Team 00:20:47
82 Said al Rahbi (Oma) Oman National Team 00:20:54
83 Filippo Ridolfo (Ita) Novo Nordisk
84 Gerd de Keijzer (Ned) Novo Nordisk
85 Andrea Peron (Ita) Novo Nordisk
86 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
87 Mohammed Al-Wahibi (Oma) Oman National Team
88 Mundher Al-Hsani (Oma) Oman National Team
89 Mazin al Riyami (Oma) Oman National Team
90 Mihkel Räim (Est) Burgos-BH
91 Victor Langellotti (Mon) Burgos-BH
92 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
93 Faisal Al-Mammari (Oma) Oman National Team
DNF Dorian De Maeght (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
DNF Gabriel Muller (Fra) Burgos-BH
DNF Stephen Clancy (Irl) Novo Nordisk

General Classification after Stage 4 :
1 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 14:49:00
2 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:00:55
3 Jan Hirt (Cze) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:00:58
4 Mauro Schmid (Swi) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:01:06
5 Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates 00:01:07
6 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:01:22
7 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
8 Henri Vandenabeele (Bel) Team DSM 00:01:23
9 Rein Taaramäe (Est) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:01:28
10 Denis Nekrasov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:01:31
11 Harold Martin Lopez (Ecu) Astana Qazaqstan Development
12 Hugo Page (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
13 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
14 Filippo Zana (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
15 Sander Armée (Bel) Cofidis 00:01:33
16 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:01:41
17 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:01:48
18 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:01:51
19 Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:01:53
20 Davide Villella (Ita) Cofidis 00:01:58
21 Luca Covili (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
22 Juan Carlos Lopez Moreno (Col) Astana Qazaqstan Development 00:02:08
23 Hugo Toumire (Fra) Cofidis 00:02:12
24 Carlos Canal Blanco (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:02:39
25 Paul Penhoet (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:02:50
26 Mario Aparicio Muñoz (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:02:55
27 Winner Anacona (Col) Arkea-Samsic 00:03:00
28 Michael Kukrle (Cze) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:03:09
29 Jonas Iversby Hvideberg (Nor) Team DSM 00:03:49
30 Antoine Duchesne (Can) Groupama-FDJ 00:04:36
31 Stan Van Tricht (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:05:31
32 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 00:06:04
33 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 00:06:09
34 Milan Menten (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:06:11
35 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 00:06:18
36 Yousif Mirza Al-Hammadi (UAE) UAE Team Emirates 00:06:41
37 Cameron Meyer (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:06:44
38 Charles Planet (Fra) Novo Nordisk 00:07:01
39 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM 00:07:08
40 Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Groupama-FDJ 00:07:29
41 Marco Canola (Ita) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:07:42
42 Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Groupama-FDJ 00:08:08
43 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:08:24
44 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-Rusvelo
45 Callum Scotson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:09:13
46 Miles Scotson (Aus) Groupama-FDJ 00:09:53
47 Clément Davy (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 00:10:13
48 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) UAE Team Emirates 00:12:18
49 Johan Meens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:12:22
50 Amaury Capiot (Bel) Arkea-Samsic 00:12:31
51 Louis Blouwe (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:12:44
52 Alexandre Vinokurov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Development 00:12:47
53 Samuele Zoccarato (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 00:12:57
54 Laurenz Rex (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:13:11
55 Kelland O’Brien (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:13:13
56 Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team DSM 00:13:20
57 Szymon Sajnok (Pol) Cofidis 00:13:47
58 Antonio Angulo Sampedro (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:14:03
59 Gianmarco Garofoli (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan Development 00:14:09
60 Tord Gudmestad (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:14:49
61 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 00:14:52
62 Felix Groß (Ger) UAE Team Emirates 00:15:16
63 Stijn Steels (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:15:17
64 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis 00:15:20
65 Marcus Sander Hansen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 00:15:46
66 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH 00:16:39
67 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:16:59
68 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:17:15
69 Kaden Groves (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:17:24
70 Nicolas Vinokurov (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan Development 00:17:34
71 Umberto Poli (Ita) Novo Nordisk 00:17:40
72 Campbell Stewart (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco 00:17:53
73 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates 00:18:30
74 Tom Devriendt (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:19:05
75 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team 00:19:52
76 Alexander Molenaar (Ned) Burgos-BH 00:20:26
77 Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 00:21:17
78 Oliviero Troia (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 00:21:24
79 Victor Langellotti (Mon) Burgos-BH 00:21:29
80 Andrea Peron (Ita) Novo Nordisk 00:24:59
81 Said al Rahbi (Oma) Oman National Team 00:25:24
82 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 00:25:38
83 Nathan Vandepitte (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 00:26:11
84 Filippo Ridolfo (Ita) Novo Nordisk 00:26:13
85 Mihkel Räim (Est) Burgos-BH 00:26:59
86 Mundher Al-Hsani (Oma) Oman National Team 00:27:25
87 Julius Johansen (Den) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:28:46
88 Faisal Al-Mammari (Oma) Oman National Team 00:28:47
89 Mohammed Al-Wahibi (Oma) Oman National Team 00:28:57
90 Gerd de Keijzer (Ned) Novo Nordisk 00:30:27
91 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 00:30:52
92 Abdulrahman al Yaaqoobi (Oma) Oman National Team 00:31:57
93 Mazin al Riyami (Oma) Oman National Team 00:32:58